The Lagos State Government has filed an appeal at the Supreme Court against the judgments delivered by the Appeal Court in favour of Major Hamza Al-Mustapha and Lateef Shofolahan in the murder case of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola.

The Appeal Court, a month ago, upturned the judgment of the High Court of Lagos which passed death sentence on Al-Mustapha and Shofolahan.

•The late Kudirat

•Al-Mustapha, not yet uhuru (freedom)

At news a conference today at Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, southwest Nigeria, Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ade Ipaye said the state government formally filed an appeal at the Supreme Court on Monday against the two judgments delivered by the Appeal Court.

“The Lagos State Ministry of Justice has filed appeal papers against the judgments delivered by the Court of Appeal in the cases of Lateef Shofolahan vs The State and Al-Mustapha vs The State,” he said.

Ipaye noted that the government had indeed studied the two judgments delivered by the Appeal Court very closely and concluded that there were grounds for appeal, which made the government to formally file the appeal at the Supreme Court on Monday.

“Having fully reviewed the decisions of the respected Justices of the Court of Appeal, it is our humble view there are strong bases for appeal which the Supreme Court of Nigeria should have an opportunity to consider,” Ipaye stated.

The Attorney General said the step the government was taking would also ensure that all issues were fully articulated and that the victim’s family, the defendants and the society were not deprived of the last window of opportunity provided by the constitution for the resolution of the case.

The commissioner added that government was committed to ensuring that law abiding residents and visitors continued to live, work and pursue their various aspirations in a safe and secure environment.

Al-Mustapha, the former chief security officer to the late head of state, General Sani Abacha, and Lateef Shofolahan, Kudirat’s aide, were accused of masterminding the assassination of Mrs. Kudirat Abiola, wife of Chief MKO Abiola, acclaimed winner of the 12 June, 1993 presidential election, and were sentenced to death by a High Court in Lagos.

They were arrested in 1999 and their trial dragged for fourteen years before they were set free in July this year.

Fashola is bitter about baseless rumor that GEJ is the brain behind the release of Almustapha, thereby hastily moved file an appeal. Am not surprised anyway, that has been the life style of the acclaimed up coming APC presidential material. Hate for other tribes and especially the president not only drives him but drives him crazy. I hope he will not after his callous act, he will not think of withdrawing the case in few weeks? Of course that is what he did after election of NGF.

Hurrah PDP gentle men lets look critically at this issue was it almustapha that pulls the trigger?i think what the family would have done was to go to international criminal court and file for crime against humanity just as mr Paul said this is the beginning of failure for the tablet APC after all panadol has taken over

APC HAS FINALLY KILLED THEIR POLITICAL AMBITION TO GET THE PRESIDENCY FROM PDP IN 2015 BOTH IN THE NORTH & EAST. MANY OF THEIR LEADERS IN APC ARE EDUCATED ILLITRATE. WHAT THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE IS TO ALLOW ALMIGHTY GOD TO FIGHT THE BATTLE FOR THEM AND FORGET ABOUT BEING TAKEN THE CASE TO SUPREME COURT.THE ISSUE OF DEPORTATION OF 70 IBOS BACK TO THEIR STATES FROM LAGOS WILL WORK AGAINST THEM IN 2015. THEY SHOULD CONTINUE TO PRAY TO GOD ALMIGHTY AGAINST SPIRIT OF ERROR AT THE EDGE OF THIER BREAKTHROUGH

Mr Paul, we know you and what you represent. Your postings show exacrtly where you come from and why you write the way you do. You are the real faceless idiot who hides under the anonimity of the internet to post insult against your superiors. Son of 419 people. Whether yiu like it or not, the South West and the North will work together this time and your own people will never smell the presidency for life.

All those shouting for Al Mustapha’s Head are Ignorant of the LAW. Even a novice can judge this case and set Al mustapha free. A death sentence cannot just be passed like that because there is no basis after setting the principal actors free. After all, all of them were under instruction from their bosses at the time.

So if a hired assasin is arrested and he metion some one else name, then you set him free and arrest the sponsor? what kind of justice is that?

U dont need 2 argue with people who have no moral value about d govt a modern state like lagos state. The good people of lagos state are watchn closely, d politics of critism emback on by d nusance dat have invaded all online forums with their low decorum in d idea of deliverin good governance. To crown it all, lagos state has cease 2 be the country capital for more than a decade before this present government and the current tradition of the state is 2 get ride of all avenue that serve as hideout for notorious criminals who are constutin environmental nusance 2 d state. an sensible person who has sense would embrace d charge around lagos state. if otherwise, pls relocate 2 where u would be allow to build ur slum or sleep under the bridge. afterall, i can reconmmend d fct as a better place 4 u.

Let everybody watch carefully bcos acn were able to drive pdp from many states through court process. so they have adequate legal knowledge to win their cases, this is my advice to every political minded individual thinking they have mlssed the track for seeking to achieve justice. they will gain more support if they realized the justice for those oppressed. can you really be ready to make mistakes by 2015? the corrupt leaders believe we will always accept peanuts and throw away billions for them.
we all should ignore tribalism, religious. to choose who will actually perform. for me I am not border about where the person come from. any government that can restore TRUE justice and accountability will be. my candidate.